Each night in the 2016 baseball season we'll run down the top news, facts and highlights from around Major League Baseball.
Wednesday was not a good night for teams hoping to enter the postseason on a hot streak. Of the six squads to have already clinched a playoff berth, only the Rangers won, and they needed a late-inning rally to do so. Rangers outfielder Carlos Gomez popped a three-run homer in the eighth inning against his old team to lift Texas to an 8-5 win over Milwaukee.
The Cubs may have been the most disappointing, as ace Jake Arrieta got rocked by the Pirates in an 8-4 loss. Arrieta gave seven earned runs on 10 hits, both season highs, in just five innings. It was his shortest outing since going five in an 11-8 win over the Reds on June 27 and the most earned runs he has allowed since giving up nine to the Rockies on Aug. 6, 2014.
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The Blue Jays missed an opportunity to keep their hopes of an American League East title alive. Jays closer Roberto Osuna gave up a go-ahead two-run homer to Hyun Soo Kim in the top of the ninth inning, which helped give the Orioles a 3-2 victory at Rogers Centre. Toronto's loss allowed the Red Sox to clinch the AL East, but the Blue Jays do still lead the wild-card standings by a game over Baltimore with Detroit two back of the Jays.
The Red Sox backed into a division title while blowing a 3-0 lead at Yankee Stadium. Mark Teixeira's two-out grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning gave the Yankees a 5-3 victory over their archrivals.
The Tigers won a rain-shortened, five-inning game over the AL Central champion Indians. Miguel Cabrera's three-run homer in the fifth was the difference in a 6-3 victory.
The injury-plagued Nationals have already clinched the National League East, but they couldn't push across any runs Wednesday in a six-inning, 3-0 loss to the lowly Diamondbacks. Shelby Miller struck out five in five scoreless innings to earn just his third victory of the season.
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The NL West champion Dodgers also lost Wednesday, falling 6-5 in San Diego as Hunter Renfroe homered and drove in four runs to lead the Padres.
As for the teams in contention for the NL wild-card spots, the Mets closed out an emotional series in Miami with a 5-2 victory. New York closer Jeurys Familia set a record for most saves by a Dominican-born pitcher with his 50th to extend the club record. The Mets are the top wild-card team, ahead of the Giants, who were shut out 2-0 Wednesday by the Rockies, and the Cardinals, who dropped a 2-1 decision to the Reds at Busch Stadium.
Player of the day
John Jaso, Pirates — Jaso had a career day against the Cubs, hitting for the cycle and driving in five runs. He is first Pirates player to hit for the cycle since Daryle Ward in 2004, and the first to do so in the 16-year history of PNC Park. He was at first base Wednesday, but as a catcher with the Mariners, he caught Felix Hernandez's perfect game on Aug. 15, 2012. He became just the second player ever, and the first since 1922, to catch a perfect game and hit for the cycle in their career.
Highlight
Teixeira's grand slam off Red Sox reliever Joe Kelly helped the Yankees clinch their 24th straight winning season.
Three things to know
— Indians manager Terry Francona said ace Corey Kluber will "be fine" ahead of his first playoff start. Kluber left Monday's AL Central-clinching win over the Tigers after four innings with a quadriceps strain, but Francona expects Kluber to start Game 1 or Game 2 of next week's American League Division Series.
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— Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman extended his hitting streak to 30 games by going 1 for 2 in Wednesday's 12-2 win over the Phillies. It's the longest hitting streak of the season in the majors, eclipsing the 29-game streak set by Boston's Jackie Bradley Jr. It's the first hitting streak of at least 30 games since Dan Uggla's 33-game streak in 2011 set a Braves franchise record.
— Giancarlo Stanton hit a first-inning double against the Mets to pass Mike Lowell for second place on the Marlins' all-time extra-base hits leaderboard (388). He now trails only Hanley Ramirez, who had 406 extra-base hits with the Marlins.
What's next
Indians (91-66) at Tigers (84-73), 1:10 p.m. ET: Rookie Ryan Merritt (0-0, 1.50 ERA) will get his first major league start for the Tribe. The Tigers, who are fighting for their playoff lives, will counter with Daniel Norris (3-2, 3.59 ERA). Detroit is a game back of the Orioles for the final AL wild-card berth.
Red Sox (92-65) at Yankees (81-76), 7:05 p.m. ET: This is the final meeting of the season between the two clubs. CC Sabathia (8-12, 4.02) will take the mound for the Yankees. The Red Sox will give Henry Owens (0-1, 7.79 ERA) a spot start to rest Drew Pomeranz (forearm soreness) before the playoffs.